Since 2005, Rodge has developed extensive experience in live literature, appearing as an author discussing his own books, Chairing writers from around the world at book festivals in Scotland and abroad, and curating events in his various roles, from the Alasdair Gray Conference to Strathclyde public events to appearing at Book Week Scotland. He has appeared at many of the major book festivals around the UK, from Cheltenham Book Festival to Hay-on-Wye, discussing his own work and that of others. He is a patron of the Scottish Writers’ Centre, which regularly hosts Strathclyde author and student events.
Chairing: Rodge has Chaired events at festivals such as the Toronto International Festival of Authors, where he curated a strand titled ‘Brave New Word’ featuring writers such as Rachel Kushner and Kevin Barry. In Scotland, he has regularly Chaired events at Edinburgh International Book Festival since 2008, with writers such as Will Self, Teju Cole, Marcel Theroux, Louise Welsh, Helen Oyeyemi, Jeet Thayil and many others, while also taking part in events with a particular author focus, such as one discussing the legacy of the work of Roberto Bolano. Recent events include A Prison of Luminaries, the Simon Parkin nonfiction book on the internment of German refugees on the Isle of Man during World War II. You can find a video of Rodge’s event Chairing Simon Parkin in 2022 here.
Rodge has curated multiple events as part of the EIBF’s evening programme, too. Meanwhile, he has appeared at most of the book festivals in Scotland, from Ullapool to the Boswell Book Festival to 20+ appearances at Glasgow’s Aye Write! Book Festival over the last decade. In 2022, he Chaired the likes of Catherine Prasifka, Ashley Hickson-Lovence and Bernard MacLaverty.
In his role at Strathclyde, Rodge curates events as part of the @StrathclydeCW team alongside colleagues Maria Sledmere, Andrew Meehan and Sarah Bernstein. Recent events include novelist Andrew O’Hagan & screenwriter Andrea Gibb discussing the adaptation by Synchronicity Films of O’Hagan’s novel Mayflies for BBC TV at the Centre for Contemporary Arts in Glasgow, and a special event celebrating the nonfiction book Homelands by Chitra Ramaswamy (both November 2022).
Rodge can be booked via the Scottish Book Trust’s Live Literature database. You can find his profile here.
Rodge Glass 